Minuet
by Polyphonic.Colours
Summary: In Panem, the greatest dread for many is the Hunger Games where 24 tributes are picked and only one will return alive but for the Valencia family, this dread is further intensified because Lacie is blind in one eye and almost deaf in one ear. So, when their fears become reality, not only will one child be lost but...[Full summary inside] [Finnick/OC]
1. Lacrimoso

In Panem, the greatest dread for many is the Hunger Games where 24 tributes are picked and only one will return alive but for the Valencia family, this dread is further intensified because Lacie is blind in one eye and almost deaf in one ear. So, when their fears become reality, not only will one child be lost but both instead as Lacie's twin brother volunteers his life to protect his sister as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One – Lacrimoso<strong>

The gentle lowing of cattle and the occasional calls made by the other animals rarely found in District Ten were getting further and further away as the distance between the Capitol and the train grew shorter and shorter with each passing moment. Mother's wailing and father's defeated expression were stuck in my mind as Nathan and I sat wordlessly with our mentors seated on our opposite. Magnolia, the district escort had left us alone directly after introducing us to each other, telling us to get comfortable with the other's presence before dinnertime arrived.

"The both of you are surprisingly not malnourished," Calpurnia, our female mentor, voiced out casually. Her hazel eyes raked over our forms and for a moment, I wanted to shrink back under her gaze even though it wasn't accusing or judgmental. Nathan and I were just luckier in some sense compared to the other residents in District 10, though that didn't mean that we were any richer than our neighbors. No, we were only luckier because we managed to trade our only but healthy and young ox for a frail she-goat that after days of nursing and care, grew strong and well enough to provide our family both milk and cheese since most of what we made with or from our cows and bulls went to the Capitol. We were also only luckier because mother transformed the tiny patch of earth beside our house into a garden filled with vegetables and herbs.

"Our mother had a green thumb so we owned a vegetable patch next to our house," Nathan answered curtly. He never liked the victors because they lived in luxury even though he was convinced that their lives were more miserable than the others as well. Haymitch Abernathy's notorious alcohol consumption and the morhpling addiction of both District Six victors weren't exactly hidden from public knowledge. There were snippets of proof that had been televised by most likely mistake on the Capitol's part to all of Panem each year. I had once overheard from John, the breeder that sold off the ox to my family, that Finnick Odair, the victor of District Four was President Snow's puppet too.

_"They're actually quite pitiful buggers, heh."_

Those were the exact words that John had spoken quite loudly for I would've not been able to hear them so clearly if he had said them in a whisper, considering the distance between him and I at that time.

"I see…" Calpurnia nodded before gesturing at Nathan, "Well, anything you did to earn yourself those muscles?"

It appeared that her attention was wholly on my twin brother but I couldn't comment anything on that. Compared to me, Nathan definitely had better chances of survival in the games. He was muscled from all the times he hauled slaughtered cattle for our father to butcher and he was also very observant of his surroundings. In fact, my twin brother had practically volunteered right off the bat the moment after my name was chosen from the many slips of papers in the first reaping ball just so he could protect me. Tearfully, I had listened to his explanation on why he had seemingly so recklessly shouted those deafening two words while we were being brought in the Justice Building situated behind the stage.

"Hauled cattle."

At Nathan's continuingly curt answer, Calpurnia's lips turned down slightly. She looked like she was about to give him a snapping retort when Anthon, our other mentor cut in.

"Lacie, right? Are you good at anything?" he looked at me kindly, though his dark eyes stated that he wasn't expecting much from me and he was right to feel that way. I had never butchered livestock before, I had never spent excruciatingly long days working hard like how Nathaniel and father did on a daily basis. The most I ever did was help mother milk the cows, tender the garden, do the house chores and weekly gather wild berries and fruit but other than that I was at school. Nathaniel had dropped out the prior year so he could assist our father in work.

"No," I answered quietly. There was no fitting answer to Anthon's question for what was I to say? Perhaps being able to recognize and categorize whether plants, herbs and wild fruit were fatal or not might be an alright answer but I didn't think it was very helpful, especially if this year's arena was a desert, icy wasteland or an eternally misty marsh. On top of that, I couldn't see with my left eye and due to an incident during one of the birthday party of the Mayor's daughter, I was half-deaf in my left ear too.

Anthon's lips formed a thin line at my reply, though it wasn't he who said anything in return. It was Calpurnia who did and rather harshly too.

"Unsurprisingly," she snorted. "You're trying to be livestock like the rest?"

The female mentor was no doubt referring to the tributes she had mentored prior to Nathan and me and honestly, I felt insulted because how could she view the other tributes before us in such a manner? Even if she had emerged victorious from her games, she still held no right to look down on the others. After all, we were all from the same district and none of us were actually raised or trained for the arena unlike some of the tributes. In fact, receiving training for the Hunger Games was illegal…! So, how were I and the rest supposed to _not_ be like the cattle we slaughter for their meat? Worse of all, many of us were severely malnourished too.

"Just because you were cunning enough and could handle knives doesn't mean that everyone else is either," Nathan snapped. "My sister _won't_ be livestock because I will be there to protect her even at the cost of my own life."

At Nathan's words, Calpurnia was stunned and Anthon remained silent while I felt my eyes watering again as the reality of the situation came down on me at full force the second time. My brother—my _twin_ brother was going to risk his life for me. He was going to throw away everything just for _my_ sake. I didn't want that. Never! I'd rather die! Nathan had always been by my side, watching and protecting me when I was preyed upon by the rare bullies who mocked my blindness during our younger years. When we grew older, he had to leave my side more often but that didn't mean that he placed aside the task he took upon himself. No. Instead, his efforts increased and even more so after that initially beautiful balloon popped right next to my ear, causing me to lose some of my hearing. How could I ever allow someone as caring and loving as Nathan die for me? Furthermore, even if it weren't my twin brother, I wouldn't allow that person to put their lives on the line for me either. Life was already hard in the district so why should the burden on someone else's family intensify due to the loss of someone they love?

"Well, you can't be so sure. You could be down the moment someone else decides to end her life," Calpurnia finally shot back after several seconds. "She'll need to learn to protect herself during worse case scenarios!"

I didn't want to listen anymore so I stood up and left the compartment. Worse case scenarios…In the arena, our lives would be at stake every second. As harsh and blunt Calpurnia's words could be, there was still truth in them. I would need to learn how to properly wield a weapon—be it knives or daggers since they would be the most similar to the kitchen knives I used to cut up food back at home.

"Lacie? Lace?" Nathan's voice came from behind me as he slid open and shut the door of the compartment I had wandered into. "Don't think about what Calpurnia said, alright? I swear to protect you and I'll make sure that nothing bad befalls you, okay?"

"No," I shook my head, causing more drops of salty liquid to fall. "I have to learn how to protect myself too. I don't want to lose you...I _can't_ lose you, Nate."

"But—"

"No!" I said firmly this time. "You're the only brother—my only twin brother, Nathaniel. So, swear that you won't let waste your life on me instead when time comes."

Nathan knew that I was dead serious since I used his full name and not the shortened versions of it. He also knew that I wouldn't back down no matter what during times like this. Despite that, he didn't comply. He wasn't backing down this time either.

"I can't swear that, Lacie," his warm brown eyes gaze into my own pair, pained. "You know that."

"You must! You can't throw away your life for mine, Nathan!" I protested in a near shrill, bursting into a fresh batch of tears. Out of all the things Nathan hated, he hated seeing me cry the most and right now, my twin brother knew crystal clear that he was the cause.

"And, you can't throw away your own either!" he raised his voice, frightening me momentarily as I was not used to seeing him angry. Then, he lowered his tone and continued in an almost defeated manner, "I don't want to lose you either, Lacie. That's why I volunteered…But, I'll try not to put my life at risk for you, alright? I can't promise or swear but I'll try. Is that good enough?"

Trying was the best Nathan could offer and I guessed that that was enough for me. It wasn't as good as swearing or promising but I understood how my twin felt. It would be ironic if I didn't considering how joined to the hip we were. So, I thanked him softly and recomposed myself, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. The Hunger Games would be the biggest ever hurdle in our lives and I decided to go over it the best that I could with Nathan.

* * *

><p>Dinner was mouthwatering yet awkward enough to make me keep a steady pace in devouring the delicious food. (Despite the fact that my brother and I had been well fed, we'd never seen or smelt food like the ones currently in front of us before. In fact, we'd never seen a whole slab of ham on a dining table previously either since we could only afford to have the little beef we could spare from slaughter days. Most of the time, we ate the vegetables from mother's garden and the cheese made from our goat's milk.) Although Magnolia tried her best to lighten up the mood, she couldn't manage it and ended up explaining about what would take place once the train arrived at the Capitol as if nothing was wrong at all.<p>

"…You'll have your own interviews with Caesar and off to the Hunger Games you go!" she finished ever so chirpily. I nodded to show her that I understood and continued eating afterwards. However, moments later, Calpurnia spoke up as perhaps some kind of truce to the argument she and Nathan had earlier.

"Tributes from District One and District Two are as deadly as ever. Keep an eye out for Seven too. Three is fair, Four should be above average and the rest are weak," she stated nonchalantly but Nathan made no move to acknowledge her words. I lightly nudged my twin brother and he begrudgingly let out a sound to show that he had heard what our female mentor said. Then, as if to sweeten the truce, Anthon turned to me with more kindness than previously.

"Are you used to using knives back at home?" he asked and continued on when I answered a yes. "Stick to the knives and daggers section during training then but remember to put time in the survival stations too."

After that, he turned to Nathan and told him that he should work on those as well. Though, he added that Nathan could try and pick up some new weapons as well. Seeing our male mentor's effort in trying to include me and not being negative like Calpurnia, Nathan paused his eating and gazed at Anthon directly in the eyes.

"Understood," my twin brother replied and the tension in the air just about dissipated, though the silence still hung like a heavy curtain over our heads.

* * *

><p>That night, I slept alone in a resting compartment as lush as the rest of the train's interior. It wasn't my first time sleeping in a bed alone, but it was a first for me to sleep in a room without Nathan. It felt weird and made me anxious because even though Nathan and I hadn't shared bed since we were fourteen, it didn't mean that Nathan didn't stay in the same room as I. Back at home, we didn't have enough rooms for him to get a separate one so he slept on a mattress on the ground while I took the bed—much to my initial distress but due to his constant insistence and assurance, I had to swallow my guilt—hence why I was so used to being with his presence and not away. In the end, though it was perhaps hours later than I'd like, I managed to drift into dreamless slumber after much tossing and turning.<p> 


	2. Strepitoso

**Chapter Two – Strepitoso**

Before the sun peeked out from the horizon, my eye fluttered open and I was greeted by the darkness and noises of an unfamiliar room. For a handful or seconds, I was lost but then, yesterday's events from when my name had been picked out of the thousand or so slips flowed back into my mind…

_"…And now, the drawing with begin with ladies first!" Magnolia's perfectly yellow curls bounced as she headed for the reaping balls with a spring in each step. Her chalk-white—either from thick makeup or dye—hand which had been exaggeratedly manicured dripped into the first one and while the lines of children ranging from ages twelve to eighteen watched with bated breath, she soon pulled out a single white slip._

_"The female tribute of District Ten for this year's Hunger Games is…Lacie Valencia!"_

_I felt my entire body go numb as a loud wail pierced through the air. Peacekeepers hurried towards me and I vaguely noticed that the people my age that had stood so close to me earlier now stood farther away as if to make the spot I stood at more obvious. Mechanically, I made my way towards the stage where Magnolia waited. _

…followed by Nathan volunteering…

_Standing where Magnolia had gestured, the district escort headed for the second reaping ball. However, before she could even read out the name on the slip, an unexpected shout stunned everyone and my legs almost gave away._

_"I volunteer!"_

_Nathan. It was Nathan who shouted that he would volunteer. My face was pale as the peacekeepers surrounded my twin brother who held a determined expression and escorted him up to the stage. Magnolia was thrilled while everyone else in the district held a mixture of emotions on their faces. The one that stood out the most though, were mother's blotchy red face as she continued to wail louder than before and father's distraught one as he held mother back. District Ten hadn't had volunteers since the 20__th__ Hunger Games and my twin brother had decided to change that. Why? Why?! What was he thinking…?!_

_"Your name, please?" Magnolia inquired._

_"Nathaniel Valencia."_

_"Oh! So, you're Lacie Valencia's brother?" the glee radiating from the district escort's words made my stomach churn. How could she be so pleased knowing that—No, never mind. It was stupid to think that anyway considering how the people of the Capitol found entertainment in the Hunger Games._

_"Yes, we're twins."_

_I pressed my lips firmly together to hold back the sobs that wanted to escape right there and then. During the entire conversation, I kept my gaze on the residents of District Ten. I couldn't bear to look at Nathan—not even when he was beside me or when we were asked to shake hands for fear that the tears I was struggling to keep at bay would finally triumph and leak out of my eyes. Soon, my twin brother and I were led into the Justice Building behind us and we were placed in the same room considering that there was no point in separating us since we both came from the same family. _

_"Why did you volunteer?" I asked as soon as the door closed behind us. For a moment, I considered getting angry but then, Nathan's answer stopped me._

_"To protect you. I'm not going to let my twin die out there."_

_And, the dam finally broke. _

…our parents' heart-wrenching goodbye…

_"Children, my children," mother openly sobbed as she hugged both Nathan and I. She was disheveled—a complete mess which was a stark contrast to her usual calm and quiet self. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for bringing the both of you into this world. I should've known better because the both of you have gone through so much and now you're in those wretched games…!"_

_Initially I was hurt because I thought she regretted starting a family with father but I soon realized that she thought that I being chosen and Nathan volunteering was _her_ fault and not the Capitol for creating and continuing such morbid games. Perhaps our mother had even believed that my blind eye and Nathan having to labor hard like our father at such a young age was her fault to. Thinking that, I couldn't actually get upset at the woman who birthed both my twin brother and I. I only disliked how she thought that everything we endured until now was caused by her. _

_"Don't cry," I told mother despite having damp eyes and cheeks myself. "I'm thankful to both you and father for raising us well."_

_"Yes," Nathan agreed. "I wouldn't trade all the days I've spent here for a life full of luxury and whatnot. I'm grateful to have the both of you for being our parents and I'm grateful to have Lacie as my twin."_

_At our words, mother only cried harder but she was no longer wailing or sobbing. She pulled away and allowed our father to step in and embrace us as well._

_"Thank care of each other alright?" he told us with wet dark brown eyes. "No matter what happens, know that we love you and we forever will. You're the greatest kids I could've ever been blessed to have."_

_"And you're the best parents we could ever have," I choked out and that was the last of our exchange because the peacekeeper opened the door and informed us that our time was up. Without even being able to hug Nathan and I for one final time, our mother was dragged out while father reluctantly followed._

_"I love you two!" mother shouted. "Live for as long as you can!"_

_Then, the door slammed behind the peacekeepers and our parents._

…stepping onto the train where the mentors would be waiting…

_The train was long and sleek. Inside, it was decorated lavishly with thick carpets, furry rugs, heavy drapes, wooden furniture and many more. Just how much had been spent on the interior? I was pretty sure that the cost of one compartment alone would be able to give warm meals to an entire district for a day or two._

_"Tributes, meet your mentors, Calpurnia Dubois and Anthon Demetrios," Magnolia introduced. "I have some matter to tend to now so please, get comfortable with each other...!"_

_With that, the district escort disappeared through the compartment door and left Nathan and I alone with our mentors._

…and everything else up until this second.

"The games…" I thought out loud with a sigh. I felt so heavy and sluggish like some kind of fever was coming upon me but I knew better. I was starting to feel the beginning of homesickness on top of the dread of a highly probable death in the unavoidable arena.

I slipped out of the covers and stepped towards the adjoining bathroom, feeling the push fibers of the white carpet underneath my feet which brought the idea of sleeping there into my mind. For a moment, I was tempted but what good would it do to me? I didn't exactly feel drowsy and I didn't want to spend more time away from my twin brother. So, I dropped the idea and merely entered the bathroom—nearly walking into the doorframe since I miscalculated its width—to freshen up.

* * *

><p>The Capitol's station was only a few minutes away as the train drew closer and closer to the city filled with tall buildings of steel, concrete and glass. Among the bustling streets were multiple splotches of color which was rather fascinating because due to the train's speed, they blended into undistinguishable blurs which I also found quite disgusting in some sense.<p>

"It's like cattle puke," Nathan commented in a not-fully-hushed tone directly beside me.

"Yeah, the colors make one horrible blend together," I agreed in the same low volume. We were being mean, yes, but it kept our—or well, my—minds off of the looming 'foretold' deaths in the arena.

"Do you reckon that we're going to be dressed as farmers this year?" I turned my head to Nathan, no longer bothering to whisper.

"Maybe cattle instead?" he suggested with humor while his warm brown eyes twinkled along.

"Ranchers would be nicer, though."

We laughed and I savored in the moment because who knows when we would be able to laugh so freely together once more? The train was slowing down and Magnolia entered the compartment we were in along with Calpurnia and Anthon. There was no more delaying Nathan and my arrival to the Capitol. Once we stepped foot out of this train, we wouldn't be simply Lacie and Nathaniel Valencia anymore. We would be widely known as the tributes of District Ten for the 69th Hunger Games instead.

* * *

><p>For an entirely different reason than the prior times, salty liquid dripped out sideways from my eyes. It took all of my willpower to not leap up and force the procedure into a halt or scream as the entirely—and freakishly—blue lady that responded to 'Moana' ripped the next strip of wax on my embarrassingly naked and now completely bare-of-hair body (She had even removed every inch of hair from my nether regions…!).<p>

"Finally! You're looking less of an animal," Moana exclaimed proudly as she tossed the used strip into the bin near her high-heeled feet. "Living with all of those animals must've made you and all the people from your district animals too. I mean, look at all of that hair!"

Whether to take offence or not, I wasn't sure because she looked at me pityingly hence why I could only give her an unsure nod in reply. Then, Lola, the lady with pastel pink skin who had busied herself with the hair on my head—the only hair aside from my eyelashes and eyebrows that was 'appropriate' to keep—giggled.

"Don't you worry, sweetie!" she beamed. "We're going to make you feel better about yourself!"

Now, _that_ was insulting. Looking like a freak was definitely _not_ going to make me feel better about myself. In fact, I felt better before the 'beautifying process' even begun! Honestly, if it weren't for Jurij, the final and only male member of the prep team assigned to me who continued to wordlessly file my long nails, I would've accused each and every person who grew up and lived in the Capitol as shallow-minded beings that greatly lacked common sense in their brains and filters for their mouths.

"Now, stay still, darling! Gina will transform you into a _true_ beauty with her artistry!"

With Lola's new exclamation, both ladies giggled simultaneously whereas Jurij stepped away silently and I was soon left alone, still lying uncomfortably naked on the table. Then, the sound of double doors sliding open caught my attention so I lifted my head to see who had entered. Fortunately, Gina was a female (You'd never know with the Capitol people. Honestly, District Seven's escort two years ago was called Clover but feminine as the name was, the escort was a _male_) so I wasn't too flustered about my state. Furthermore, she seemed more…normal in her sense of fashion compared to the other members of my prep team considering how her skin wasn't dyed like Lola and Moana, and how she didn't have any sign of tattoos on her visible skin like Jurij who had pale brown ivy on the outer corners of his eyes.

"Well, you certainly aren't as starved as the tributes before you!" she exclaimed in surprised, maroon eyebrows rising up into her vibrant red triangular fringe. What was wrong with people and their reactions to seeing someone from District Ten who _wasn't_ malnourished? Sure, the chance of meeting one was incredibly slim but there was also no need for such astonishment. In fact, if the Capitol didn't need so much food, nobody in the districts—especially the poorer ones—would be starved. Heck, the people back at home could even keep at least a quarter of beef, milk and cheese for themselves since the forest that acted as a barrier around District Ten was completely off-limits, thus placing hunting out of the question. Plus, they could even be able to afford the expensive vegetables and fruit on the market.

I chose not to reply Gina as she proceeded to circle around the table and studied my form. Minutes later, she snapped her fingers and the trio belonging to my prep team reentered the room. Gina ordered them to fetch the needed materials for my ensemble and within seconds, my surroundings were a rushed blur of colors, hair extensions, cloth, products and whatnot.

* * *

><p>"You lose," I whispered to Nathan after stepping into the chariot. We weren't dressed as cattle or well, technically farmers but I had still guessed right about us possibly being dressed up as ranchers…of some sort? I had been dressed up in a yellow off-shoulder dress completed with a tight corset that made me felt like my ribs were being forced towards my lungs and also beautiful floral embroidery. I had been given a fan and my hair had been curled and pulled back into a half-up hairdo while my makeup was rather natural, though I wasn't exactly pleased about all the freckles that speckled my face being covered up since it made me feel less me. On the other hand, Nathan was dressed in loose overalls and he had no shirt underneath which showed off most of his toned body—not that I wasn't used to seeing it since he slept without a shirt on unless it was too cold. I could tell that he wasn't exactly pleased about the lack of shirt since we would be paraded around the Capitol but he kept silent.<p>

"You're not exactly a rancher or a farmer either," he whispered back while lightly rocking sideways the pitchfork in his right hand as though to give himself some little distraction. I shot him a quizzical look and leaned close which he immediately understood that I couldn't properly hear what he had said. It wasn't a first after all. Nathan repeated what he said a little louder and I smiled wryly.

"I'm not sure what I am either but it _is_ better than being half-naked or being dressed in some kind of monstrous attire."

"True," Nathan agreed. "I'd hate to punch the lights out of the guys who'd dare to stare."

"For the former or the latter?" I asked jokingly.

"The latter."

"Hey!" I laughed and gave Nathan a playful shove. I was grinning broadly until the chariot lurched into action, causing me to nearly lose my balance if not for my twin brother's quick reflexes. The audience's loud roaring startled me as the city came into view and I felt myself freeze…until Nathan threw his free arm over my shoulder. Automatically, the corners of my lips curled up and I fluttered my fingers in the direction of the ever-colorful people of the Capitol while mentally noting to thank my twin brother once the Tribute Parade was over.


	3. Lusingando

**Chapter Three – Lusingando**

Among the human sea made up of tributes, mentors, prep teams, stylists and district escorts, I accidentally lost Nathan and ended up in an elevator alone with the District Four tributes and their male mentor who was none other than the one and only Finnick Odair. Up close, I could definitely see what the fuss around him was all about. Truly, calling him 'perfect' wouldn't be an understatement at all—especially in the physical department since I wasn't too sure about his personality considering rumors weren't always true and how I had never been the one to watch the Hunger Games even if they were supposed to be compulsory. I couldn't stand the sight of children fighting each other to death for the sake of survival in a situation not caused by nature or anything like that, but man instead. Hence why whenever we were summoned to watch the games from the large screen at the square, I would just pretend to stare at it when my point of focus was really above the screen, drown out the sounds and drift into another faraway world.

Politely, I smiled at the District Four tributes and their mentor, though only Finnick returned it since his tributes were a deep, hushed conversation with each other. I stood alone on the empty side, near the door with my head bowed and soon, the elevator dinged, signaling that we've arrived at the fourth floor of the apartment complex. The District Four tributes exited immediately, sparing no second glance back but even when the doors began to close, Finnick made no move to follow them.

"You're not getting off?" I asked barely audibly in fear that it was not in my place to question District Four's male mentor. Glancing sideways, I caught sight of the charming smile Finnick wore widening.

"I thought that I should accompany you to your floor considering you have no one with you at the moment," he answered smoothly. Then, he added that it wasn't exactly safe for me to be alone too, though from what exactly I had no clue. The beating of my heart sped up at his answers as I hurriedly lowered my head further—enough to create a curtain of hair that would hide my face from view. The attention was embarrassing and my cheeks were heating up as well. I had never gotten such attention back at the district since more often than not, Nathan kept them at bay. Truthfully, I used to get frustrated since I felt left out with nearly all the girls our age having boyfriends already but right now, I found myself wishing Nathan was here. Why didn't I slip out before the doors closed and wait for Nathan on the ground floor so we could ride the elevator together? In fact, as of the moment, he was probably unhappy about me leaving his sights.

I silently begged for my floor to arrive faster and when the elevator dinged again, I let out a sigh which I hoped was not audible after releasing it…Unfortunately, it wasn't and Finnick's chuckle was proof enough that he heard it. Flustered, I gave him a quick thank you and all but ran out only to realize that I didn't know how to get into my district's assigned floor. I had neither key nor pass to get through the locked door. I ran through my memories and tried to recall who could be in District Ten's apartment but all the people I knew had to be downstairs since there was only one elevator.

"Your district escort didn't give you a copy of the card key?" Finnick's voice was incredibly close and I could feel his hot breath on my neck, creating an odd ripple of shivers that travelled down my spine.

"N-no," I squeaked, not daring to move in case the skin on our flesh came into contact with each other. My face was growing hotter and I was sure that I was the exact shade as the ripe tomato in mother's garden from the single plant which she managed to get seeds for at the market. Why was this happening to me? Lord, why couldn't I just melt and blend into the floor?

"What a pleasant surprise, Odair."

At once, Finnick's breath left my neck but the warmth radiating from his body didn't. When did the elevator arrive on this floor? I hadn't heard the bell. Still, I dared not turn my head for I knew that the one who had interrupted the situation was Calpurnia. Once you heard the victor of the 60th Hunger Games speak, you would never be able to forget her voice because not only was it often laced with sarcasm but there was also had a slight lisp.

"Good evening, Dubois," Finnick greeted nonchalantly, his voice still very close to my ear.

"Preying on my district's tribute?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'm just keeping Lacie company since she doesn't have the card key to enter," Finnick replied with another chuckle. I felt his warmth disappear as he stepped away and relaxed, although I still didn't have enough guts to turn around just yet.

"Really? It looked like you were about to seduce her to high heaven," Calpurnia snorted. I could practically picture her folding her arms over her chest as she held a defiant stance.

"What makes you think that?" Finnick questioned rather innocently.

"Because she isn't the type," District Ten's female mentor answered simply yet there was also sureness lacing her tone.

"I see…" Finnick hummed. "Well, books shouldn't be judged by their covers, right?"

Footsteps echoed through the air as I turned around just in time to see Finnick step around Nathan, Calpurnia, Anthon and Magnolia. He pressed the button and we all watched him as he waited for the elevator to arrive. Within seconds, it did and he stepped inside, turning to face us afterwards. His vibrant sea green orbs met my gaze and his smile broadened.

"It's nice meeting you, Lacie. Perchance we could speak again sometime soon."

With that, the elevator doors closed and I was left alone with Nathan, our mentors and district escort with two from the four giving me accusing looks. Magnolia noticed the tension and immediately tried to diffuse it by letting out a rather awkward laugh.

"Well, now let's step inside!" she said brightly while heading towards the door of District Ten's assigned apartment. There was a robotic beep that followed which I assumed as the green light for us to enter. Calpurnia was the first among her, Anthon, Nathan and me to move.

"Remember to keep your legs shut at _all_ times," she spat when she walked past me to reach the door, clearly having taken Finnick's words into some degree of consideration. Appalled, I could only gape after her as Anthon followed his fellow victor into our apartment without sparing me a second glance. I spun to look at Nathan and saw that he appeared conflicted with himself. He was unsure of whether to defend me or continue being upset and that was all that was needed for the anger within me to boil. How _dare_ she? We barely even knew anything about each other and here she was, insulting me left and right as if she had a clear idea of the kind of person I really was. Mother and father had worked so hard to raise Nathan and me right so how dare she say such things!?

"The only one who needs to remember to keep her legs shut is you!" I yelled while storming into the apartment, causing the victor of the 60th Hunger Games to freeze in process. "Oh, and you should work on your cattle dung-equivalent attitude and perhaps remove that branch up your asshole too!"

"Well, the little girl can fight back and swear too, huh? Nice choice of words but they aren't going to save your sorry ass any further once you're in the arena!" Calpurnia shot back after spinning around to face me.

"Says the one who won her games by _seducing_ the other remaining tribute like some cheap whore!" I regretted those words the moment they exited my mouth but I couldn't show that to Calpurnia so I merely kept my stance while mentally telling myself that she deserved a taste of her own medicine, especially when she initiated that mother and father hadn't raised me good and proper through all of those blood, sweat and tears. The female mentor of District Ten clenched her fists as she continued to fume. However, it was obvious that I had hit a sore spot. Calpurnia spun around and stormed towards the corridor, disappearing into it. The slamming of door could later be heard so it was perfect sense to assume that she had entered a room.

A deafening silence fell over the living room. Anthon shook his head at me and then, headed for the corridor as well. Once he was out of sight, I turned around and saw Magnolia's unhappy expression which I could also tell wasn't one she wore often.

"There you go, ruining your chances!" she chastised me. "The mentors are a tribute's lifeline, you know? You practically threw yours away!"

With that and in a flurry of clicking heels, she left the room too, leaving only Nathan and I. I looked at my twin brother and smiled bitterly.

"You're going to pin the blame on me even though I'm not the only one to be blamed as well?"

"No," Nathan shook his head. "Sorry for not defending you but I'm glad you did it for yourself."

Then, he closed the distance between us with long strides and hugged me with the corners of his mouth turned up. I felt my eyes watering at his actions and allowed the tears to fall freely.

"I've said too much, haven't I?" I sniffled. Now that all of my anger was spent, all that was left for me was regret and guilt. I wasn't exactly known to have a great temper, though it wasn't really a short one either. Still, that didn't mean that the words I spewed hurt any less for the receiving end. I really should've kept my temper in check and my mouth shut. I mean, not even a week yet and there were already two arguments; one which I participated in, the other I witnessed.

"It doesn't matter. It was the anger, right? Calpurnia definitely deserved it since she found it in her position to tell you to do things out of her line," Nathan assured.

"Yeah…whether she meant to or not, she insulted my upbringing but even so, that doesn't mean that I should've stooped down to her level…"

"Shhh, it doesn't matter, Lacie. We were brought up together so that means she indirectly insulted mine as well," Nathan dramatically rolled his eyes which earned a small laugh from me. "Besides, what's done is done so let's leave it at that."

Then, Nathan broke the embrace and looked down at me. "Let's go pick out our rooms. I don't think that they'll fancy us sharing a room but having one next to each other is doable too, right?"

"Alright," I grinned and wiped away the tears with the back of my hand. The both of us proceeded to corridor and took the left turn since our mentors took the right one. We opened the first door we came upon and found an empty bedroom. Then, we opened the door next to it and found another empty bedroom in similar design and furniture arrangement. We quickly decided that I would take the first one while Nathan would take the second one. Then, we entered my new bedroom and willed time away with conversation, laughter, jokes and reminisces of home, leaving out the meeting with Finnick and the earlier dispute between Calpurnia and me.

* * *

><p>Dinner had been more awkward than before with Calpurnia showing her still-present annoyance by the loud banging and clinking of her cutlery against her plate which I found rather childish for a twenty-six year old but made no move to comment on it out loud. I found no point in dousing flames with more fuel. Magnolia was visibly not pleased with what Calpurnia was doing as well but she held her tongue and we all carried on eating like the other wasn't in the same room.<p>

Currently, I was on the rooftop after borrowing a copy of the card key from a slightly hesitant Magnolia and finding my way there by pressing the button in the elevator with the leaf symbol. Nathan had wanted to come along but I told him not to, saying that I only wanted to get a quick breather before going to bed. He was reluctant to comply at first but after promising to return within ten minutes, he gave in.

I took in the view of the Capitol lights and inhaled a deep breath, enjoying the cool passing breeze. It was kind of captivating, seeing so many lights of different colors and sizes, and it was also thrilling to be viewing something from a height like this. There weren't any chances of getting an experience like this back at District Ten. In fact, the highest one could go there were probably the watchtowers but those were off-limits to the normal district residents. Other than that, there was also a garden up here but since there weren't any lights there, I decided against checking it out. After all, there was no point in it when only the outlines of various plants could be made out. A handful of seconds passed and I decided that I had spent enough time up here. However, just as I was about to turn around, an unfamiliar voice stopped me.

"If I were to jump off the railings, would I die?"

A scrawny girl stood under the orange light near the door, gazing forlornly at me with her large blue eyes—a shade that's rarely seen at my district. I couldn't place her as anyone I recognized but since she didn't look like a resident of the Capitol or any of the victors for that matter, she had to be a tribute just like me. The girl appeared no older than I (I was seventeen) yet here she was, talking about suicide as if it wasn't a big deal and something no one should actually consider…Well, perhaps being in a situation like us, would be the only acceptable excuse since only one tribute was going to live anyway.

"…I don't think it would be that easy," I finally answered after studying my fellow tribute. It was true because letting us die outside the arena would just make the Game Makers laughingstocks and perhaps even President Snow himself would feel duped since there would be no point in having the general twenty-four tributes selection for each Hunger Game if the tributes would be committing self-murder even before they set foot in the arena, thus resulting in lesser than the set number.

"Why? I mean, it's so high up here and I'm pretty sure I'll die before my body even hits the ground…" Desperation was evident in the girl's eyes and I was beginning to grow anxious under her piercing gaze. She was looking at me like I was some sort of savior—as though I could let her escape from reality the moment I told her what she wanted to hear and that was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

"If that's possible then there would already be tributes who've tried but, you don't see any of them missing from the first day in the arena do you?"

At my reply, the girl's shoulders slumped further. She released an audible sigh and averted her attention to her feet. She then, said something in a whisper which I couldn't make out before turning around and stepping into the awaiting elevator to leave. Dumbfounded, I stood there trying to process what had just occurred and in the end, I decided to just leave the matter alone because I must've gone past my promised ten minutes already. If Nathan hadn't decided to come up to fetch me at the very last moment, he should be pacing around the living room or something similar.

'At least she didn't ignore my words and actually leaped off the railings…'


End file.
